Armed robbery suspect arrested in Gilroy planned to flee to Texas with wife

(BCN) - Vacaville police released the name of an armed robbery suspect arrested in Gilroy on Thursday with his wife before they could flee to Texas.

Joshua Davenport, 34, of Suisun, was taken into custody Thursday at the Motel 6 at 6110 Monterey Road in Gilroy on an arrest warrant in the armed robbery of the U-Haul rental store in Vacaville Sunday night, Vacaville police Sgt. Jeff King said.

The suspect's wife, Jessika Davenport, 33, was also arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting a fugitive, King said. The couple's four children, who were with them during the arrests, were placed into protective custody.

Vacaville detectives are still trying to locate two other suspects who are at large in the U-Haul robbery, King said.

At about 10:18 a.m. Thursday, Gilroy police received a call from Vacaville police that the Davenports might be at the Motel 6, Gilroy police Sgt. Joseph Deras said.

Vacaville and Gilroy police officers placed the motel under surveillance and saw Joshua Davenport enter a room at the motel and Jessika Davenport leave in the couple's vehicle, King said.

Police followed Jessika Davenport, pulled her over, arrested her and placed the children who were inside into protective custody, King said.

After a brief standoff at the motel with Gilroy SWAT officers, Joshua Davenport surrendered to police, who later found an illegal firearm in his motel room, according to King.

The two suspects were transported to the Solano County Jail in Fairfield, King said.

Police learned that the Davenports had planned to escape to Texas to avoid arrest, King said.

The U.S. Marshals Service, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol assisted Vacaville and Gilroy police in the operation, Deras said.

The robbery of the U-Haul, at 1240 E. Monte Vista Ave. in Vacaville, was reported to police at 5:33 p.m. Sunday, King said.

Witnesses told officers that three suspects, armed with dark-colored handguns, forced employees into an area of the store at gunpoint, stole an undisclosed amount of cash and drove away in a 1999 Ford SUV, King said.

Police soon identified Joshua Davenport as one of the suspects and executed a search warrant at his home in Suisun, but could not locate him until Thursday, King said.